Two-piece buckles that snap together and latch automatically upon adequately inserting a male component into a female component are known and are used in a variety of applications. In past constructions, one of the members (typically the female member defining the buckle body) includes an eyelet with a fixed cross-bar positioned at a distal end located away from the connection point to the other member. A short piece of webbing is looped through the eyelet and the free ends of the webbing are then stitched or otherwise connected to a support surface such as a backpack, article of clothing or other structure. A secure connection between the buckle member and the support surface is thereby established.
The use of a buckle member of unitary construction with a webbing connection sewn to a support surface provides an excellent connection during use. However, in the event that the buckle member is damaged, replacement of the damaged part requires that one end of the webbing to be cut or otherwise detached from the support surface for rethreading through a replacement buckle member. The free end of the webbing must then be reattached to the support surface. This replacement procedure is thus time consuming and requires substantial skill. Accordingly, a buckle assembly which provides secure attachment during use, while nonetheless facilitating ease of replacement would represent a significant advancement over the current art.